Printing telegraph system



R. J. ANSPACH El' AL PRINTING TELEGRAPH SYSTEM AFiled I une 21,

R. J. ANS/ACH /NVENTORS- J. t HA .QR/50N zal En @mi @mmm I mumo Q S z3 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2S, 1936 hil'i'h PRINTING 'EELEGRAPH SYSTEM Application .lune 21, 1934, Serial No. 731,740

10 Claims.

This invention relates to printing telegraph systems and more particularly to calling-in arrangements for use in printing telegraph systems.

It is an object oi this invention to provide an improved subscribers calling-in arrangement for use in printing telegraph systems. The purpose of this calling-in arrangement is to enable a subscriber at a receiving printing telegraph station to notify an attendant at the nearest printing telegraph central office repeater station that the' teletypewriter apparatus at the receiving station is not functioning properly.

In printing telegraph systems, there often is a possibility that an operator at one printing telegraph station might transmit, by means of sending teletypewriter apparatus at that station, significant current variations over a telegraph line to receiving teletypewriter apparatus, located at another printing telegraph station, which might not be functioning properly. Normally, the operator at the sending station would have no immediate knowledge that the significant current variations Were not being properly received at the receiving station. In order to obviate this undesirable contingency, it is necessary to employ some arrangement for informing the operator at the sending station that the teletypewriter apparatus at the receiving station is not functioning properly and also to inform the attendant at the Inearest central oice repeater station in order that the trouble may be remedied.

Heretofore, in printing telegraph systems, this problem has been met by installing apparatus at a receiving station for retransmitting messages received at that station back to the sending station. The objections to this procedure are that it cannot be readily applied to any printing telegraph system and that it requires additional apparatus which is expensive.

In accordance with this invention, a simple and inexpensive arrangement is provided in a printing telegraph system for notifying both an attendant at a central oice repeater station and an operator at a sending station that the teletypewriter apparatus at a receiving station is not functioning properly. in using this arrangement, the subscriber at the receiving station opens the telegraph line, leading from that subscribers station to the sending station, for a pre-assigned period of time, such as five seconds. This long open condition of the telegraph line causes the teletypewriter at the sending station to cease printing a home copy thereby informing the sending operator ci trouble.

At the same time, this long opening of the line will cause the receiving relay at the central oice repeater station to operate its armature to the spacing position. While in the spacing position, the armature ci the receiving relay Will close a path for energizing and operating a second relay also located at the central oice. When this second relay operates, it closes a path for energizing a slow-to-operate relay Which operates after a period oi delay, such as live seconds, and closes a path for operating an alarm device l0- cated at the central oi'ce. The operation of the alarm device at the central office can be discontinued by the insertion of a plug in a jack located in the circuit for the alarm device. After the telegraph line is closed by the receiving subscriber, all the line relays will operate their armatures to their normal positions.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, which shows the equipment necessary at a teletypevvriter subf scribers station and central oflice repeater station for practicing the features of this invention.

The drawing represents in schematic form a telegraph central ofnce repeater station R1 having oppositely extending telegraph lines i9! and 2M. A. single teletypewriter subscribers station represented at S1 is shown connected to line mi, it being understood that the end oi line 28! may terminate in another repeater station R2 or in another subscribers station S2. The subscribers station S1 is shown in schematic form with the usual well known elements such as sending contacts 4, selecting magnet i3, and generator 7. Stations R2 and S2 may or may not, depending upon circumstances, be equipped with a calling-in arrangement similar to that of stations R1 and S1.

With telegraph lines of the kind here shown, it is the usual practice to provide a sensitive relay i2 with a biasing winding 8 and a resistance il' for reducing the negative voltage from generator 'i used in providing a negative voltage through winding 5 of relay l2 to the. line mi. The purpose of this arrangement is to enable working over uncommonly short line circuits. A part of this invention further includes the .modification of the subscribers station S1 to include a timing device, such as cam 3,-Which. when operated, cames the line lo! to be held open for ve seconds or more.

Under normal conditions, the circuit of line i 0| is closed from positive battery i l i, resistance i i4, armature and M Contact of the sending polar relay i535, and then to the junction H34 of the windings of the receiving relay |02. From this point the circuit divides, one path being traced ing 5 ofk relay I2, and rsistances 6v and I0 to junction I which, in thisparticular case, has a negative voltage of about 10 volts to ground. The amount of voltage may be regulated by varying resistances I'I and I9, since resistance I'I acts as a shunt on the higher voltage of the generator 1. Relay I2 is held operated by current'through the upper winding fand the selecting mag I3 is held in an operated position by means o rrent passing from generator i, through the VYcontact g and armature of relay I2, selecting magnet-JIS,

resistance I4, andthen to ground;V Y

The ow of line current in th upper winding oftreceivingrelay I 02 `sets up a flux which over.- comesybut'isopposed, by the flux set up bycurrent through the .lower winding of. relay |02 thereby: causing the armatureAV cf relay |02 to remain on:its M-contact as shown.

junction II5 of the windings of relay |05, and then over conductor I I8.

At the sarnetirne, positive current from bat?- tery 2li will pass through resistance 200, armature and VVM contact of relay 252, and then to junction 2 I 2. When the current from battery I Ii meets the current from battery 2li at junction 2|2, the result will be that no-'currentgwill fici-.zy in the top windings of relays |05, |06,;25, 206. This accomplishes no useful result in the case or relays |05 and i155, but relays 205 and 206 w11 now operate and enable positiveY current ifrom bat- Very 2| I to pass through resistance 209, armature and S contact of relay 205 to junction 2M of the windings of nrelay 202, and then: out over line 20j, thereby repeating the signal tog the distant oice R2 or station S2. When thesending contacts 4 at subscribers station S1 transmit a marking sig,- nal and .close the line iI, the relays |02, 205 and 205 release and restore negative polarity to line Normally, .Y

negative. current flows through the dummy loop W I I8 frombattery. I I0, resistance I I3, .lVlI' contact i and'arxnature or" relayY |52 to the junction H5 .of Y

the-windings of 'preak'relay i055 and Ysending relay |06?. At'junction I lthelcircuit divides, one path being traced through the lower windings of relays li'and |06, thrjough resistance I I6; and then to ground. The'ot'ner path leads through the upper windings of relays i 05 and |06, Contact l 0l of jackv |00, conduotor I I3, upper windings of'send-Y ing'vrel'ay 205 and break relay 20S to junction m2,;

amature and M contact of receiving relay 202,;

resi'stanjce'209,A andYther-to positive battery 2H.;

Anotherfcircriit passes from ground through.

`resistance 207, lower windings-of relays 1205- and 206,:r andthen Yto junction 2|2. As was stated above,` a similar circuit leads from ground through resistance IIS, lower windings pf relays IDE-'and |05, and then to junction I I5. ,Theflux Y v set up by current in the upper windings pf relays! |05; |06, 205-and 206 isY greaterr than the fluxfin their lower windings so thatgtheir armatures remainfon their M- contacts as shown in the drawing. g

Negative current from battery 2 Ulis-connected through'resistance 208,2M contact andv armature of relay 205 to .junction 254 of windingson relay 202. Here the circuitfdivideag onepath being traced through'the lower winding of relay 202, articial line 203, and then to ground. The other path leads through the upper winding of relay 202, andthen out over Vline 20| to another repeater station R2 or subscribers sta-tion S2.- The iiux in `the two windings of relay 202 are opposing but the flux-in the upper winding is greater so that its armature restson its lvcontact as shown.Y

When telegraph signals are transmitted'froni the sucscribers stationjS1, the sending 'contactsil` open and close intermittently according to the ,marking and spacing impulses of the letter code being transmitted. Relay I2 follows these interruptions and successively opens and closes 'tl-ie circuit through magnet I3 thereby causing a rec- Vord to be made at station S1 o the signals'being transmitted; At the repeater station: R1, *every'f In, asimilar manner, whensignals arebeing" transniitted'to the subscribers station S1, relay 202 operates on every spacing signal Vto cause relays I and i to operate and close a path fornegative current from battery i I0 to pass through resistance H37, armature and S'vcontact of relay ISE, to june i v1 I of the windings of relay |02.` From thispoint the circuit divides, one path beinggetraced through the artificial line I03'to ground'andthe other path being traced over line Ibi, contacts E of cam 3 at station S1, contacted, winding 5 ofY relay I2; resistances @and I9, to junction I; Asr was statedY above,Y therefis-approximatelya l() `voltrnegative potential atjuricf tioni caused by current'passing from.: generator Y l," through resistances Ii'and I9, and then to` ground I8." Relay I2now operates necausethe flux in the'topvwinding inowy aidsV the iiuxjn thebottom winding 8. The'operationpf Vrelay1|2 openo thefcircuit through the selecting magnetl ifwhch causes the signal tc-be recorded;

Iffduringthe transmissionV of; messages, thev teletypewriter apparatusvr at lrstation S1 failsl to function properly forsome: reason, it isdesirable that the subscriber'notifyV the attendantf at .the central office; R1 in order that the trouble may be remedied.'v To do this, thesubscriber depresses. a key (not' shown) which'controls ythecam--ii and its associated spring eontacts''and I5.V1 A timing` arrangementehsuch a.: sclockworkmechanism, not shown (of thekey causes cam to rotate only one complete resolution during a preassigned period or" time, such as 5 or 6 seconds. The' spring contacts 2 are opened during this period and cause Y nalfTherefore, relays I t2, 2&5: and 200 will operate v as :has beenpreviously described. Relay |02fwill close a circuit for positive current from battery Ii'ISto pass throughrrelay 25, armature and; M

Contact of relayv 05, armatureand S contact ofrelay 02; and then to junction 55.. Of. the

twopaths from this point, the one through the Lipper windingsoi relays @5,105 255 and; 2061 may be tracedrtopositive current frombattery '2liV as previously described. However, littler or no current flows in this path whereas current does iowY in the other path through: the lower windings of relays and |06 .through resistance through contacts I5 Vandv H to ground. As a result, the armatures of the relays |85 and l @ii Will be maintained in the positions shown in the drawing.

Since the circuit to junction H5 includes the Winding or" relay l2il, relay 29 will operate and close a path through its armature for current from battery l i2 to pass through the relay itl to ground and thereby operate relay il. Relay 52 is a sloW-to-operate relay and requires a definite time interval, such as` 5 seconds, in to operate. Therefore, the transmission of regular signals never gives relay l2! time enough to fully operate. However, when the cam 3 at station S1 is operated, relay 2i? remains operated for a suffrcient length of time to allow relay l2! to operate and to enable current from battery l is to pass through the armature of relay iii, winding of relay E22, contacts le? of jack lllii, and then to ground. Relay I2?. then operates and closes a locking circuit for current from battery 2E to pass through an armature and contact i223 of relay E22. At the same time, current. from battery 25 will pass through another armature and contact i243 of relay through an alarm device, such as lamp it, and then to ground. As a result, lamp 25 will light and give a warning, or indication, of trouble to the attendant at the repeater station. The attendant, on noticing this warning signal, places a plug i2? in jack 08 to discontinue the signal (by opening contacts m9 and thereby opening the energizing path through relay l 22) and to communicate with the subscriber at station S1, or to take such other action as may be necessary. It is to be understood that any other suitable alarm device, such as a bell or buzzer, could be used instead or, or in addition to, lamp i25.

The holding open or" line lill by means of the cam 3 not only lights lamp 25 for notifying the attendant of trouble but it also causes positive current from battery 2H to be connected to the line 2M in the same manner as when sending an ordinary spacing signal. The continuance of this spacing signal at the repeater station R1 causes the sending teletypewriter to cease printing a home copy thereby indicating to the operator at the sending station, such as station S2, that there is trouble.

The operation of the alarm device, such as lamp 125, at repeater station R1 indicates definitely to the attendant that the trouble is at the receiving station S1 and not at some other station, such as sending station S2. If, for example, line 25E were to remain open for an interval of time longer than an ordinary spacing signal, such as 5 seconds or more, then lamp E25 would not light because the energizing circuit for relay l2ll would remain open at the M contact of relay H35 because, under this condition, relay ille would have operated its armature to its S contact.

Because, in accordance with this invention, the calling-in signaling arrangement is always located at the repeater station R1 on the line nearest the subscriber station S1 and because a long open interval on the line beyond the repeater station R1 does not cause lamp it to be lit, the operation of the cam 3 at station S1 always serves to operate only the alarm apparatus l25 at station R1 but never the calling-in alarm apparatus at a distant repeater station, such as station R2. As a result, the indication of trouble is not given to parties other than those intended to receive it.

What is claimed is:

1. A printing telegraph exchange system comprising in combination a plurality of telegraph lines connected to a plurality of printing telegraph central oiiice repeater stations, a plurality of subscribers printing telegraph stations connected to the central of'ce repeater stations by the telegraph lines, and instrumentalities for enabling a subscriber to warn an attendant at only one central oiice repeater station of the improper functioning of teletypewriter apparatus located at that particular subscribers station, said instrumentalities including a normally closed circuit extending from a subscribers station to the near- 1 est central oice and a cam at the subscribers station for opening said circuit for a preassigned time interval.

2. A printing telegraph exchange system comprising in combination a plurality of subscribers printing telegraph stations connected by a plurality of telegraph lines to a plurality of printing telegraph central office repeater stations, alarm apparatus located at each central office repeater station, and instrumentalities for enabling a subscriber to operate the alarm apparatus at only the central oice repeater station to which he is immediately connected, said instrumentalities including a slow-to-operate relay located at the central oice to which the subscriber is immediately connected, said relay having an energizing circuit which is normally open, and control means at the subscribers station for closing said energizing circuit for operating said slow-to-operate relay.

3. in a printing telegraph system having a plurality of subscribers printing telegraph stations connected by a plurality of telegraph lines to a plurality of printing telegraph central oice repeater stations, a circuit for warning an attendant at a central oiiice repeater station of the improper functioning of teletypewriter apparatus located only at a subscribers station which is immediately connected to that particular central oince repeater station, said circuit including an instrumentality located at a subscribers station for maintaining the telegraph line connected thereto open for a predetermined deiinite fixed interval of time, an alarm device located at the central office repeater station, and instrumentalities at that particular central office repeater station for operating the alarm device in response to the opening oi the telegraph line for said predetermined interval of time.

e. A printing telegraph system comprising in combination a subscribers teletypewriter station connected by a telegraph line to a teletypewriter central office repeater station, and a calling-in circuit for enabling an operator at the subscribers station to give an indication to an attendant at the repeater station that teletypewriter apparatus at the subscribers station is not functioning properly, said calling-in circuit including cam operated contacts for holding the calling-in circuit open for a preassigned delinite fixed interval of time.

5. A printing telegraph system including ln combination a receiving teletypewriter station connected by a telegraph line to a sending teletypewriter station, and a calling-in circuit for enabling an Aoperator at the receiving station to notify an operator at the sending station that teletypewriter apparatus at the receiving station is not functioning properly, said calling-in circuit including an alarm device having an energizing circuit which is normally open at the armature of a normally unoperated rst relay, said rst relay having an energizing circuit which is normally open at the armature of a second normally unoperated relay, and controlmeans; at the f.

abling an operator at the firsty station to cause.

1m anindication to bemade at the second stati'on of the improper. functioning` of teletypewriter apparatuslocated at the first station, said calling-in t circuit` includingA a camV operated contact for holding the circuit open for a preassig'ned 155 period. Y l Y Y 7. A printing telegraph system comprising in combination a subscribers receiving teletype- `'writer station connected by a plurality of telegraph lines to a teletypewriter central oiice re- Zpeater station and to a sending teletypewriter station, and a calling-in circuit for enabling an operator at the subscribers station to informsimultaneously both an attendant at the repeater station and an operatorat the sending teletype- 25g writer station that teletypewriter apparatus located at the subscribers station is not functioning properly, saidcalling-in circuit including a contact operated by a cam driven by clockwork mechanism. Y Y 303 8. A printing telegraph system including in combination a first teletypewriter central oiiice repeater station connected by only one telegraph line to a first subscribers teletypewriter station, al second teletypewriter central office repeater 3555r` station connected by only one telegraph line to the rst repeater station, saidsecond repeater station being connected by only one telegraph line to a second subscribers teletypewriter staincluding in tion, an alarm device locatedat eachcrepeater. station,'and instrmnentalities at the first-sub;-A scribers station for operating the alarmdevice.- at onlyv the iirst repeater station and for inform-V ing the subscriber at the second subscribers staf 5;. tion of the improper functioning of` teletypef writer apparatus located at the first subscribers;

station. Y

9. A printing telegraph system including in; combination a rst teletypewriter central voiicerny connected by only one telegraph line to a first. subscribers teletypewriterY station, a second .teletypewriter central office connected yby onlyfone-l telegraph line to the rst central oce, saidsec-v. ond central Voffice being connected by only onefi; telegraph line to a second subscribers teletypeff writer station, alarm apparatus locatedat eaclfrv central oilice, a timing device at the first-sub scribers station for opening the telegraph linea' leading from that station to the rst centraloI-l--Zi ce for a preassignedperiod for operating onlyVV the alarm apparatus at the'rst centralofdce;V

Vl0. A printing telegraph system includi'ngin: combination a first subscribers teletypewriter station connected by a single telegraphline to a; 25;,

first teletypewriter central office repeater station,` a second subscribers teletypewriter station con-l.A nected by a single telegraph line to a secondteletypewriter central oiice repeater station, said. repeater stations being connected to each otheFO-.lz by a single telegraph line, VVand instrumentalites for informing only the attendantat the rst re,- peater station and the operator at the second? subscribers station of the impropergfunctioningN Y of teletypewriter apparatus located at the rsi'ffi,A subscribers station.

RUSSELL J. ANSPACH. JACKSON W. HARRISONE 

